Get rid of dog dandruff: 5 Tips for How to Get Rid of Cat Dandruff and Dog Dandruff
5 Tips for How to Get Rid of Cat Dandruff and Dog Dandruff
Can Dogs and Cats Get Dandruff?
Yes, dogs and cats can both get dandruff, and while it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, it is a sign that your pet’s skin is dry. Cat dandruff and dog dandruff are not necessarily medical issues.
How to Get Rid of Dog Dandruff and Cat Dandruff
So what can you do to get rid of it? Here are five ways to deal with dog dandruff or cat dandruff.
1. Get Your Veterinarian’s Opinion
Sometimes flaky skin is a sign of a medical problem. For example, hormonal imbalances can cause skin issues. Your veterinarian may recommend diagnostic skin sample analyses and bloodwork.
2. Look Into Changing Their Diet
Pets need a certain amount of fat in their diet (the good kind of fat—no bacon!) to keep their fur shiny and their skin nice and supple. Either switch their diet to a high-quality pet food or supplement their diet with oil-based dog supplements or cat supplements.
Oils containing high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, are excellent for skin health. Coconut oil may also be helpful for dogs and cats. It is important that these oils be introduced slowly so as not to cause stomach upset or diarrhea.
Consult your veterinarian to discuss each of these options.
3. Bathe Your Pet Regularly
We all need a good bath every now and again (or at least a shower), but when dealing with cat dandruff or dog dandruff, regular bathing can be most helpful in keeping dandruff at bay.
Moisturizing dog shampoos, cat shampoos and conditioners are available, as well as products designed specifically for dandruff issues. Just be sure not to over-bathe your pet, as this may cause a change in the pH of the skin, which can cause a medical problem. Unless instructed by your veterinarian, pets should not be bathed more than once every two weeks.
4. Try a Dandruff Shampoo
We’re not talking about the dandruff shampoo for people—that’s not for animals! There are, however, cat skin and coat care shampoos as well as dog skin care shampoos that have been specially formulated to help treat cat dandruff and dog dandruff.
So if the problem is really bad, then we recommend adding this to your pet’s regular bath time routine to help deal with the problem.
You can also talk to your veterinarian about prescription skin and coat care products that can help combat dog and cat dandruff.
5. Get the Right Brush, and Remember to Use It
Brushing your pet regularly not only makes your pet feel good and keeps her fur smooth and shiny, but it also helps massage the skin and distribute the coat’s natural oils.
But you’ll need the right type of dog brush. If it’s too soft for your pet’s fur, it’s not going to do any good, and if it’s too stiff, it will aggravate rather than help.
Finding the right dog brush will depend on the type of pet, type of coat and your pet’s tolerance for brushing. You can talk with your veterinarian or dog groomer for tips on what will work best for your pet.
Overweight animals (especially cats) may be unable to groom themselves, especially on their backs.
The short-term solution is to brush your pet, but the real, long-term solution is weight loss.
Older pets also may not have the flexibility to groom hard-to-reach places, so it is important to help them.
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How to Get Rid of Dog Dandruff
TLC
·
15 Apr 2021
TLC is the most experienced author on Wuffes.
Just like humans, dogs can have lots of ailments and infections. There are dental diseases, urinary problems, cancer, and canine parvovirus amongst others. While all of these diseases should definitely be addressed immediately, there is one dog infection that is often dismissed as it is said to be harmless: dog dandruff.
The truth is, dog dandruff can harm your dogs as much as other potentially harmful ailments.
What is dog dandruff?
Dog dandruff occurs when flake-like dead skin cells retain on their epidermis instead of being shed out.
This leads to extreme itchiness and irritation. Your dog’s instinct will be to scratch it thoroughly until the itch goes away.
However, scratching can cause severe pimples, scratches, and wounds. These open wounds are likely to then become a breeding ground of various fungi and bacteria, making your dog vulnerable to more serious infections such as distemper, heartworms, and canine parvovirus.
What are the causes of dog dandruff?
One of the most common causes of dog dandruff is obesity.
When a dog is overweight, they tend to have multiple skin foldings. These skin foldings can be filled with moisture which becomes a breeding ground for fungi and yeast, resulting in dandruff. So it’s best to aid the digestion of your dog to avoid obesity.
Another cause of dandruff in dogs is hygiene. Lack of proper hygiene or a dirty environment results in bacteria and fungi build up. However, extended bath time can also cause dryness to the skin, which results in dandruff.
It is recommended that you only bathe your dog every other week, using a mild shampoo.
It is also believed by some that dandruff can be caused by genetics. Some dog breeds like Cocker Spaniel and Golden Retriever are more susceptible to dandruff than other breeds.
How to treat dog dandruff
Because dandruff is a common problem amongst dogs, there are thankfully a lot of ways in which you can treat it.
The most common way to address and treat dog dandruff is to buy a dog dandruff shampoo. However, not all dog dandruff shampoo will work with all dogs with dandruff. The shampoo’s active ingredients will depend on the level of infection, skin or fur of the dogs, their breeds and even their age. So, it’s best that you consult your veterinarian first before buying a dog dandruff shampoo.
On the other hand, if the dandruff isn’t extreme yet or might just be caused by dryness, you can try a DIY dog dandruff treatment.
Apply lime juice to the affected area and soothe it with oatmeal. Vitamin C can treat dandruff, while oatmeal will solve the itchiness and irritation.
Lastly, give your dog a supplement for dog dandruff. It is known that fatty acids, especially Omega 3, improve dogs’ skin and coat conditions. Not only can it treat dandruff, but it can also prevent it from re-occurring.
Aside from this, Omega 3 also improves your dog’s immune system, making him less susceptible to more severe diseases caused by dandruff.
Now that you already know the cause of dog dandruff and what might happen if it’s left untreated, it’s time to give extra effort and attention to your dog’s skin!
Reviewed by
Laura Robinson, DMV
Dr Laura practices at the Antonio Animal Hospital in California, where she was born and raised. She is an advisor to Wuffes, ensuring all our products and content is of the highest standard
5 tips to get rid of dandruff in cats and dogs
Can dogs and cats get dandruff?
Yes, dogs and cats can get dandruff, and although it’s not the most aesthetic thing in the world, it’s a sign that your pet’s skin is dry.
Cat dandruff and dog dandruff are not necessarily medical problems.
How to get rid of dog and cat dandruff
So what can you do to get rid of it? Here are five ways to deal with dog or cat dandruff.
1. Get a veterinarian’s opinion
Sometimes peeling skin is a sign of a medical problem. For example, hormonal imbalances can cause skin problems. Your veterinarian may recommend diagnostic tests on skin samples and a blood test.
2. Try changing their diet
Pets need a certain amount of fat in their diet (good fat, no bacon!) to keep their coats shiny and their skin nice and supple. Either switch their diet to a high quality pet food or supplement their diet with oil-based supplements for dogs or cats.
Oils high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, are great for skin health. Coconut oil can also be beneficial for dogs and cats. It is important that these oils are administered slowly so as not to cause stomach upset or diarrhea.
Consult your veterinarian to discuss each of these options.
3. Bathe Your Pet Regularly
We all need a good bath (or at least a shower) from time to time, but when dealing with dandruff in cats or dogs, regular bathing may be the most beneficial way to combat dandruff.
Moisturizing shampoos for dogs, shampoos and conditioners for cats, and products designed specifically to combat dandruff are available. Just be careful not to over-bath your pet, as this can change the pH of the skin, which can lead to health problems. Unless instructed by your veterinarian, pets should not be bathed more than once every two weeks.
4. Try Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
We’re not talking dandruff shampoo for humans – it’s not for animals! However, there are shampoos for cat skin and hair, and shampoos for dogs that have been specifically formulated to treat dandruff in cats and dogs.
So if the problem is really serious, we recommend adding this to your pet’s regular bathing routine to help manage the problem.
You can also talk to your veterinarian about prescription skin and coat products that can help fight dandruff in dogs and cats.
5. Get the right brush and don’t forget to use it
Regular brushing of your pet not only makes him feel better and keeps his coat smooth and shiny, but also helps to massage the skin and distribute the coat’s natural oils.
But you will need the right type of dog brush. If it’s too soft for your pet’s coat, it won’t do you any good, and if it’s too hard, it will aggravate rather than help.
Choosing the right dog brush will depend on the type of pet, coat type, and your pet’s tolerance for scratching. You can talk to your veterinarian or groomer about what is best for your pet.
Overweight pets (especially cats) may not be able to groom themselves, especially when lying on their back. The short term solution is to brush your pet, but the real long term solution is to lose weight.
Elderly pets may also be unable to care for hard-to-reach areas, so it is important to help them.
- Why does my cat have greasy fur?
- Cat Hair Care: Cleaning and Combing
- Dog Coat Types and Grooming
- Cat Hairballs in the Stomach, Why Cats Throw Hairballs
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Dog dandruff – the causes of the disease and the correct treatment
Home » Important to know
Important to know
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Dog dandruff is a threat to the general condition of the animal and health, not just an aesthetic violation.
Dandruff occurs as a result of serious deviations in the health of the pet. With an abundance of dandruff that falls off the dog when scratched, go to the veterinarian and examine the animal. You should not run to the store at the first signs of the disease to buy a special shampoo for dogs from dandruff, let the professional examine the animal. It is highly recommended not to wash your dog before going to the vet. If dog dandruff has appeared recently, it is possible not to notice the deviation. It is advisable to wash the dog in the evening in order to visit the doctor the next day.
Contents
- Is dog dandruff a health or aesthetic problem?
- Causes of dandruff
- Treatment
- Prevention
Is dog dandruff a health or aesthetic disorder?
Causes of dandruff
In the article we will present the main factors influencing the appearance of dandruff, but only a veterinarian will be able to correctly identify the causes that cause dandruff in a dog.
Skin cells are constantly dying and new ones are being generated. When violations occur in the animal’s body, there are a lot of white checks. A variety of diseases can lead to a dead end, we will mention a number of options:
1) Simple dry skin
Associated with temperature changes at the beginning of the heating season. The difficulty is solved simply – you will often have to comb the dog with a soft brush, often moisten the skin, the dog’s coat with a special moisturizer. Thanks to combing, you regulate blood flow, and by moisturizing, you contribute to the proper regeneration of skin cells.
2) Wrong (unbalanced diet)
Wrong diet and food allergies and poisoning contribute to dandruff. Dandruff in the latter case becomes an allergy signal. Dogs are sensitive to food, if the pet eats cheap dry food, fears arise. Change your pet’s diet, drink only boiled water.
3) The appearance of parasites
Parasites, hair mites can cause dandruff in a dog, which is difficult to fight.
Dangerous even for humans. Such parasites cause unbearable itching and damage the skin and coat.
4) Dandruff as a symptom of the disease
Dandruff as a symptom of the disease is an alarming option. Sometimes even a doctor is not able to determine the cause of dog dandruff. Moreover, the diseases of dogs are diverse: diabetes mellitus, eczema, hormonal disorder or dermatitis.
Treatment
The principle of treatment of the disease: try to prevent, so as not to suffer later. If the situation is already running, you will need treatment that eliminates dandruff in a dog, consultations of doctors. If dandruff is caused by a serious disease, a treatment regimen is drawn up and appropriate drugs are prescribed. If dandruff arose as a result of external causes – it’s time to go to the store for a special shampoo.
DO NOT take any action on your own – you can seriously harm the dog and aggravate his health in the extreme.
